


Black Scales

by CoordinatedChaos



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Cheesecake, F/M, Fluff, Human Kwamis, LadyNoir - Freeform, Marichat, Mer Adrien/Chat Noir, Mermaids, Pirate AU, Pirate Chloe, Pirate Ladybug, Pirate Marinette/Ladybug, Pirates, Romance, adrienette - Freeform, ladrien, mermaid au, plikki
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-25
Updated: 2020-03-02
Packaged: 2020-11-07 16:51:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 16,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20820620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoordinatedChaos/pseuds/CoordinatedChaos
Summary: When Captain Ladybug runs across a trapped black tailed mer, she takes pity and releases it. Her kind deed later pays off.I'm not very good at summaries, sorry!I know it says 11/? chapters, but that's just because I’m not sure how many I’m doing yet. Updates on Sundays!





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So, hi everyone! CoordinatedChoas here with my first Miraculous fic! I'm so excited! I fell in love with these adorkable characters after my younger sister made me watch the show with her! Now I'm obsessed! I've been reading every fan fiction I can get my hands on, and I've been really wanting to write a fic for awhile now. I love all the wonderful AUs surrounding Miraculous Ladybug and have found so many wonderful, but lesser known ones that I want to write for.  
Originally, I considered mashing as many as I could into one fanfic, but upon reflection, considered it better to instead write different fanfics for each one. These fanfics will most likely be short, anywhere from one to five chapters long, but I feel inspired, perhaps longer!  
Now without further ado, may I present to you- Black Scales, a Miraculous Ladybug Mermaid/Pirate AU fanfiction!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning. Enough said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (This prologue was added after some chapters were already posted)
> 
> Hello everyone! I know I didn't update tonight, but I had a hectic day and both my little sister and her pet was were sick so I had to take care of her while my mom took her pet to the vet. I did manage some hardcore editing of the rest of the chapters, so they should read way smoother and was able to whip up a mini prologue in the meantime. I hope everyone's doing great! Have fun reading!

The small merchild sat in the sea cave. It was already dark, and with daylight fading, it was becoming even more dismal. The little mer had blond hair and bright green, cat-like eyes. Cautiously, the mer swam up to the entrance and peeked out. The only thing out there was motionless, silent sand. It had been a long time since she had left.

***

_ "Stay here, darling." His mother said gently. Her features faded slightly in the dim light that trickled from outside the cave. "I'll be back soon with some more food for dinner." _

_ Her smile was warm as she ruffled his hair up. His black, finned ears flicked as she brushed them with her fingertips. _

_ "Can't I go with you, mama?" He asked, eyes shining hopefully. "I wanna explore and see the cool fish and the pretty plants!" _

_ She sighed deeply, "I wish you could, but it's not safe for a small mer out there."  _

_ "I'm not small," He protested with a pout. "And I'm not scared." _

_ She giggled, her sapphire tail flicking in amusement. Her tail seemed to capture all the hues of the ocean waves. _

_ "Soon." She promised. "When you're a little older. We can go out together and see everything." She gave him a tender hug, before swimming towards the entrance of the sea cave they called home. _

_ "Bye, mama!" He called out to her, giving her a gap-toothed smile and waving as she left. _

_ "Bye, sweetheart!" She turned around and waved back before flashing him one last grin. _

***

It had been too long since she had left. He had waited and waited for her to come back. His stomach growled in protest. She said she would be back with dinner. Tentatively, he swam outside. Squinting his eyes, he glared at the horizon, trying to spot a glimpse of her. There was nothing but sand and the occasion half-dead strand of seaweed. Everything was quiet. The silence was deafening. Maybe she had just got lost. He could find her and help her back. Choosing a random direction, he started swimming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank fanficaddict1 for their lovely comments. The last one nearly moved me to tears. I love that you enjoy it so much and it makes me so very happy. Thank you so much! I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving break! (I know I'll treasure mine)
> 
> Stay Magical!
> 
> CoordinatedChaos


	2. Freedom Snatched Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A black-tailed mer is caught by a yellowed coated pirate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My first Miraculous fanfiction! I'm so excited! Hope you enjoy it!

The mer swam beneath the waves, slipping from current to current and gliding along through the water. Sunlight trickled down, turning the warm water a beautiful teal shade. Exotic coral and green plants adorned the seafloor. Colorful fish darted in and out of the labyrinth of stones and coral, and the mer beamed contently. Merfolk were rare, and this particular one even more unusual. While most mer had glittering gem-like scales in all the colors of the rainbow, this mer had inky black scales. Pausing, the mer watched the surface of the water. He drifted up and poked his head out. The black scaled mer had bright green eyes, similar to a cat's, and even the sclera glowed a vivid lime green that matched his translucent tail fin. His black, finned ears perked up as he watched the faint silhouette of a ship on the horizon. Diving back under the water, the mer glided towards the boat.

He had never seen a human ship up close before, but he had heard stories. They rarely came to this part of the ocean, and he'd never cared to seek out the areas infested by humans. Humans were dangerous; that was what his mother had always told him.

_ Stay away from human ships; they bring nothing but trouble. _

And yet . . . There was something fascinating about the unknown — the allure of adventure and discovery. As the mer glided under the barnacle-encrusted hull of the ship, he could faintly make out the sounds of people on deck. Swiming up to float alongside the wooden vessel, he gazed up. The side of the ship was too steep for him to see anything on deck. Turning to duck back under the waves, he missed the whistle of the net descending upon him.

Panicking, he thrashed wildly, trying to escape. He felt a jolt as the dripping net was hulled up, crashing against the side of the ship. The mer frantically tried to disentangle himself from the thick ropes of the net, still clinging onto the illusion that there was some manner of escape, that this couldn't possibly be happening. His breathing was coming out in ragged gasps, the gills on the side of his neck flaring, even though he wasn't under the water. The mer gave one last panicked gasp as he felt as the net was dragged over the side of the ship.

With a thump, the net with the mer inside was dropped on the deck of the ship. The mer inside withered around wildly, growling and hissing, fangs bared and claws scratching the polished wooden deck. He could hear humans running around, boots clomping, and people shouting.

"Secure it!" A loud voice shouted over the chaos of the ship.

The mer growled ds hands clamped down all along his tail and back, and even a pair holding his head down, stopping his thrashing and flapping and pinning him to the deck. A couple of shiny, steel-tipped, black boots arrived at his line of vision. He jerked his head violently, knocking the pair of hands off, and craned his neck up to glare at the owner of the boots. It was a woman, no older than twenty-five, wearing a long, honey-yellow coat and white breeches. A cutlass hung at her waist, and a hat with a garish feather in it rested on her blonde locks.

With a hiss of metal, the pirate drew the sword and pointed it at the mer. "If you attempt to escape, I'll stab you,” she threatened. "So, don't try any tricks."

The mer just glowered at her, his pupils slit and furious. 

As soon as he felt the thick net cut away from him, he threw the hands off of him and lunged for the side of the ship. The blonde pirate lunged forward, thrusting her cutlass into his shiny black tail. With a yowl, he curled into himself, teeth gritted and body tense. His black finned ears flattened against his head, and his green, cat-like eyes teared up with pain.

"Hmm," the pirate hummed, "that's too bad, I would have preferred to have avoided injuring it." She commented to a red-headed girl standing at her side, presumably her first mate. "We're not going to get nearly as much gold if it's injured."

"Maybe by the time we reach port, the sea monster will have healed, Captain Bougious." The girl said hopefully.

A pool of crimson blood slowly grew around the mer. His breathing became ragged, and sharp inhales punctured by soft moans of pain.

Captain Bougious glanced over at the mer. "Well, merbeast, you'd better behave yourself while you're on my ship, or you're going to be in a far worse condition by the time we reach port. Ideally, we need you alive, but if that's not possible. . ." she trailed off with a malicious smirk.

"I'm not a merbeast, and I'm not an it." The mer spat out, from where he was curled up on the deck. "I'm a he, and I have a name."

"Anything that drowns and eats people is a sea monster in my book." The pirate captain replied carelessly.

"I don't eat humans, and you're not any better!" He returned indignantly as he kept his gaze on his scaled hands, which he used to apply pressure to the stab wound. "Not only do you hunt, sell, and kill mers, but you also kill and steal from your own species. So you're not exactly much better than I am!"

"I couldn't care less what you think, and I don't know why I'm bothering arguing with a fish anyway." She frowned at the mer as she scowled and lifted her cutlass. She used the tip of it to tilt his head up towards her, drawing a bead of blood in the process. "You will look at me when I'm talking to you, merbeast!" she snapped irritably.

The mer flinched, and then scowled, stubbornly refusing to meet her eyes.

"You said you had a name." She said quietly, her eyes narrowing.

"What?" he asked, suddenly confused.

You said you had a name! Well, what is it?" she demanded.

"Why would you care?" He countered.

"I don't!" She barked, sheathing the sword and turning.

"It's Adrien." He finally answered.

Captain Bougious's coat flared as she spun around to glance him. "Well, Adrikins," she said sweetly, "you'd better make yourself comfortable because you're going to be with us for quite a while."

With that, she stalked away, and Adrien's heart sank as his freedom was snatched away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Stay Magical,  
CoordinatedChaos


	3. Mer Scales

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien is trapped, Chloe is cruel, and things are looking worse than they were last chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter enough to keep reading! There's a lot more in store for you guys ahead, so have fun!

Adrien sat fuming in the tub. After Captain Bougious had walked away, her crew had bound his wrists and gagged him. Unceremoniously dragging him by his tail, across the deck and down to an empty cabin, they roughly tossed him in the bathtub. Twisting around, he tried to find a more comfortable position, unable to fit himself entirely in the water. The tub was large, but still too small for the mer's long tail. With a huff, he slid down in the tub, submerging his head. Unfortunately, it meant that his tail was almost entirely out of the tub. It dripped blood and water on the floor. The was also blood in the tub water, but Adrien did his best to ignore it, despite the throbbing pain. Sitting up again, he tried to avoid glancing at the wall, where a collection of colorful mer scales was fixed arrogantly. It made him sick just looking at it.

_ Bang! _

Captain Bougious kicked the door open, nearly knocking it off its hinges. She stomped into the cabin, and the red-headed girl filed in obediently behind her. Adrien winced at the noise, his ears twitching. He snarled at her.

"Manners, mer." She scolded, "Until we reach port, _ your _ well-being depends on _ my _ happiness." The pirate captain glanced at the crimson blood that marred the floor of the cabin. "Plus, if you want us to fix up that tail of yours, you'd better behave." 

"A pirate, teaching a mer about manners." Adrien laughed dryly. "Well, that's a first."

"Shut up." The pirate snapped. She drew her cutlass. "You _ do _ remember what we discussed, don't you?"

Adrien slid down in the bathtub, till his eyes were just above the water level. Captain Bougious stomped over and stood over the tub, glaring down at him.

"Sabrina!" She barked at her red-headed first mate. "Grab some bandages and some alcohol for the mer-monster!"

"Yes, Captain!" Sabrina responded, hurrying out of the cabin.

"I told you I have a name." Adrien frowned at her. Even though he was mostly underwater, the words came out clear. There was none of the distortion that hindered human speech underwater.

"And?" The captain returned.

"You could use it."

"I could, couldn't I?" The lady pirate mused. Her voice grew cold, and a malicious smirk spread across her face. "I just don't want to."

"Well, how about you tell me _ your _ name?" Adrien remarked, endeavoring to make polite conversation.

"It's Captain Chloe Bougious, dreaded pirate and mermaid hunter." She answered aloofly, "But to you, mer, It's Captain Bougious." The woman paused, watching the mer with narrowed ice blue eyes.

"Do you see those scales on the wall?" she inquired. Not waiting for an answer, she continued. "Every one of those scales is from a mer that _ I _caught. The mers themselves were either sold to some rich noble who wanted an exotic pet, or killed and parts sold on the black market. You'd be surprised the amount of gold a skinned mer tail can fetch." She finished delicately.

Adrien swallowed nervously. None of those sounded like great possibilities.

"Unfortunately," Captain Bougious proceeded, resting the tip of her cutlass on her boot. "I have a dilemma. _ Your _ scales are dull and black, and nobles want colorful mer that they can show off to their wealthy, snobby friends. However, the rest of you is in fine condition, minus the stab wound which will hopefully be healed soon, and I get more money by selling to rich aristocrats than selling parts on the black market."

"You could just release me and not have to worry anymore." Adrien tried, hopefully, hyperaware of the way he was trembling. Fabulous, his best future, as of now, was being sold to a wealthy aristocratic, showed off, and kept as a pet.

"And lose a fortune? I don't think so, Adrikins."

Their conversation was cut short by Sabrina, who had returned.

"Chloe, I've got bandages and alcohol!" She exclaimed, dirty cotton bandages in one hand and a bottle of rum in the other.

"Very good, but that's _ Captain _ Chloe. Now, fix up the mers tail."

Sabrina looked at Adrien, who bared his elongated canines at her with a snarl, lashing his tail back and forth. She glanced at her captain apprehensively.

"Well, go on! Why are you waiting for?" Chloe snapped impatiently.

"A-are you sure it's safe?" Sabrina questioned dubiously.

"Yes, of course, I'm sure! The sea monster knows better than to try anything with me here."

Captain Bougious raised her cutlass to Adrien's throat, who reluctantly stilled. He cringed as Sabrina put her grimy hands on his tail, pushing it into a position more accessible for her. She grabbed the rum bottle and opened the cap, pouring it into the fresh wound. Adrien hissed as it stung.

"Sorry!" Sabrina yelped.

"It's a sea monster!" The captain complained, "Don't apologize!"

Sabrina wordlessly continued working. She grabbed the stained pieces of cotton and hesitated, trying to figure out how to wrap them around Adrien's thick tail.

"Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!" Captain Bougious snarled, snatching the bandages from Sabrina. "Why must you be so incompetent?" she demanded.

"I'm sorry, Chloe!"

Chloe shooed Sabrina from the room. She efficiently finished up, tying the bandages tightly.

"There." She admired her handiwork. "Now, you won't drip blood all over the floor of the _ Pollen _ anymore."

"Who's fault was that?" The mer responded irritably. His light, translucent, green tail fin just grazing the wooden planks as he swished it back and forth.

"Yours." The pirate returned curtly. "If you hadn't tried to escape, I wouldn't have had to stab you."

"If you hadn't captured me, I wouldn't have had to try!" He countered bitterly.

"That's enough out of you!" The captain snarled. She kicked Adrien's tail, hitting the stab wound with her steel-tipped boots

With a yelp, he curled up, grabbing his tail and cradling it. White-hot streaks of pain shot through the injury. He turned to the captain, his bright green eyes narrowed and black finned ears pressed back against his head. "Why must you be so cruel?"

"Because it's the only way to get things done in this world, so get used to it!" she yelled, before stomping out of the room and slamming the door.

Adrien slid miserably to the bottom of the small bathtub, curling up and squeezing as much of himself in the water as possible. Tears trickled from the corners of his eyes as soft sobs escaped him, whether they were from pain or sadness, he couldn't tell.

* * *

Adrien tried desperately to ignore the hunger pains coming from his stomach. He couldn't even remember the last time he had eaten. Mer could go a few days to a week without eating. However, it had been longer than that since the previous time Adrien ate.

A faint knock sounded from the cabin door, and the mer shifted in the tub, sloshing water over the rim. "Come in." He called out softly.

Sabrina tentatively opened the door. Well, that explained it. He had wondered who it could be, as Captain Bougious never knocked, choosing rather to kick the door open instead.

"Captain Bougious told me to ask you if you were hungry." she wrung her hands, slowly walking into the room. "Do you have a preference for anything?"

"Well, I am hungry," Adrien replied with a smile, trying to put the timid girl at ease. Unfortunately, it had the opposite effect as her eyes widened, and she took a few steps back towards the door again. He realized that she was probably afraid of him and that flashing her sharp canines was most likely not helping. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"I-its fine." She stuttered out, eyeing him cautiously.

"Some fish would be nice, if that's possible." He requested respectfully. "It's been a while since I've eaten."

His last sentence was punctuated by a loud growl coming from his stomach. Sabrina looked startled at first, but then she giggled. With a gasp, she clapped her hands over her mouth and looked at him nervously. "Sorry."

The mer chuckled softly. "It's fine, I'm not offended."

The first mate let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank god. I'm so worried that if I say something wrong, you're going to attack or eat me."

Adrien frowned, tilting his head slightly. "Why would I do that?" 

"Because Captain Chloe always says that mer drown and eat humans and that if we're not careful with the ones she catches, they'll attack and eat _ us _." The girl wrung her hands. "Plus, you have fangs and claws and sharp spines."

"Well, rest assured, I have no plans to eat you. _ You've _ been nothing but kind to me, and even if I tried to attack anyone, it would only get me stabbed again."

"In that case, fish is manageable. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Adrien waited patiently, feeling the soft rocking of the ship and listening to the quiet lapping of the waves. He wished that the cabin had a porthole so he could watch the ocean. He frowned down at his scaled black hands and long claws. He knew that humans didn't have many natural defenses, but they invented plenty of weapons to make up for it, like the cutlass that Captain Bougious had stabbed him with. He hadn't realized that mer appeared so frightening to humans, though. He glanced at the bandages wrapped around his tail. Gently, he prodded them with his finger. Feeling a slight ache, he withdrew his hand. The mer ran his hands through his blond hair, tousling it. It was weird to feel it soft and dry. Hearing the door creak open, Adrien watched as Sabrina walked in, hauling a metal bucket full of dead fish. Mer mainly ate live fish, but dead fish was better than no food at all.

"I wasn't sure if you cooked your fish or not, so I decided to wait and ask you." She glanced at him expectantly.

"Uncooked is fine." Adrien had never had cooked fish before, but having your food all crispy and burn seemed unappetizing.

Sabrina set the pail down by the bathtub. Adrien twisted around, ignoring the pain from his tail as he reached down to grab a fish. Hungrily, he tore into it with his teeth, savoring the feeling of having something to eat after being hungry for so long. He paused when he noticed the uncomfortable look on Sabrina's face.

"Would you like one?" He asked hesitantly, not sure whether or not she had eaten, and if eating in front of her was considered rude.

"No, thank you." She smiled tightly, "I should probably be reporting back to the captain, so I'm just going to leave. Have a good meal."

She scurried out the door, shutting it behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Adrien! Chloe really is barbaric, isn't she? Well, at least she fixed his tail. I'm honestly surprised at how quickly I've been getting chapters out. It usually takes me a few weeks to just write one! Whelp, I hope you've enjoyed! I'll try to get out at least one every weekend. Stay tuned!


	4. Port

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Pollen reaches port, Captain Bourgeois makes a fortune, and Adrien's life seems to never get better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a rather large time skip, between the last chapter and this one, I'm sorry. I hope you enjoy it anyway, though! Also, I know that Paris is not on the coast, but for this fanfiction, it will be. I apologize for the inaccuracy.

After two weeks, the Pollen finally arrived at port in Paris. Adrien felt his stomach sink as he listened to the shouts of the pirates on the deck. Kicking the door open, Captain Bourgeois stomped into the almost empty cabin. Adrien flinched as the loud noise hurt his sensitive ears.

"Why do you always have to be so loud?" He complained. "You kick doors open and stomp everywhere. You yell at your crew and Sabrina." He felt a twinge of pity for the Captain's first mate. She was already an anxious girl who always did her best to please her Captain, who, in turn, didn't appreciate her and ordered her around like a slave.

"Because I enjoy it." The pirate replied simply. "Unfortunately for you, Adrikins, this is the end of our time together. We've reached the port of Paris, and I have reached my final decision on what to do with you. . ."

Adrien tensed in anticipation.

"And I've reluctantly decided _ not _ to kill you."

The mer let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"Instead, you're going to one of the wealthy aristocrats who lives in the city, and _ I _ am making a fortune in gold!" The captain exclaimed gleefully. "Your new owner is waiting on the dock. So I suggest you try to make a good impression. None of the hissing, growling, and scratching nonsense you attempted with me."

With that, Captain Bourgeois sauntered out of the cabin. She returned a moment later with two members of her crew, plus Sabrina.

"Hold him down."

Panicking, Adrien started snarling and thrashing, splashing water everywhere. The two crew members rushed to pin him down.

"You got water on my coat and in my hair!" Captain Bourgeois shrieked, completely soaked with water. "Do you have any idea how much this _costs_, merbeast?"

Gritting her teeth, she stormed up and slapped the mer on the side of his face, her hand leaving a bright red mark. Adrien's eyes widened in surprise the side of his face smarting sharply.

"I _ was _ going to be gentle, but now I changed my mind." The captain reached out, and hooking her long fingernails under the edge of one of the ebony scales on his tail, ripped it out. "For my collection." She smirked.

Adrien whimpered, tears pooling in his electric green eyes. Pulling a scale off a mer was like pulling a fingernail off a human.

"Grab him and bring him to the dock." Captain Bourgeois commanded furiously. "Sabrina, you come with me."

Adrian hissed as the crew members tied his wrists together.

"I'm not taking any chances." The larger man said, pulling the ropes tighter than necessary.

"We should probably gag it too, Kim." The other man, who had bright red hair, replied.

Adrien snarled at them, baring his teeth.

"Good idea, Nath. Those fangs look sharp." Kim gave an exaggerated shudder.

He pulled a piece of linen out of the pocket of his coat and roughly gaged the mer, who glared silently.

"You grab its tail, I'll grab its torso."

Nath reached down to grab Adrien's tail, flinching when the mer growled through the gag. Soon both men had Adrien out of the bathtub.

"The sooner we get rid of it, the sooner I get a good night's sleep," Nath commented. "It freaks me out that, that while we're sleeping, there's a human eating sea monster onboard the ship. I'm honestly regretting joining this crew in the first place. If I didn't need the money. . ." He trailed off.

The two men half carried, half dragged Adrien up onto the deck of the ship, and then down the gangplank onto the dock, where they unceremoniously dumped him at the feet of Captain Bourgeois, who was to be doing business with a middle-aged woman wearing a navy blue admirals coat. The woman's hair was twisted into a sleek knot at the base of her neck.

"Finally!" Captain Bourgeois snapped. "Took you long enough!"

The woman in the blue admiral's coat glanced down sternly at Adrien, who glared defiantly right back at her, growling softly. His tail ached as being dragged along the dock had almost completely shredded the bandages on his wound.

"I told you to be polite!" The pirate captain roughly kicked Adrien in the side.

He let out a pained gasp through the gag. 

"Captain Bougious!" The woman scolded. "The mer is _ Agreste _ property now, and Lord Agreste will not be pleased if you injure it." She pointed to where the pirate's crew were already loading wooden chests full of gold onto the Pollen.

"Apologies, Madame Sancoeur," Chloe replied, her voice quickly smoothing out. She sent a stern glare in Adrien's direction. "The merbeast has a habit of not following orders. I would suggest that you and Lord Agreste develop a strict disciplinary system."

"I am perfectly capable of determining what disciplinary measurements need to be put in place for the mer, Captain Bourgeois." Madame Sancoeur replied curtly. "I will say, however, that I'm not pleased with your disciplinary tactics. " She glanced disapprovingly at what was left of the bandages. While she stab wound had almost healed completely, the stab wound was still sore.

Madame Sancoeur snapped her fingers, and a large man who resembled a gorilla grabbed Adrien, lifting him off the dock. The man deposited him into a glass tank full of water that rested in a large horse-drawn cart. The tank was thankfully larger than the bathtub.

The Gorilla helped Madame Sancoeur onto the front of the cart, then climbed on himself, grabbing the reins. With a flick of the reins, the two horses set off at a trot.

The water in the tank sloshed, jostling Adrien, as it bumped over the rough cobblestones of the narrow street. Many of the peasants walking on the street gasped and pointed excitedly when they saw the mer. Feeling uncomfortable, he curled up and sunk to the bottom of the tank. He fiddled boredly with his tail fin, he gazed out silently at the shops, houses, and people.

* * *

The cart came to a stop in front of a grand mansion made of grey marble. Adrien gaped, astonished, at the enormous house. He hadn't realized that humans even made buildings this big. Mer houses were small. Normally just sea caves or secluded coves. Some mer didn't even have official houses, instead choosing to travel wherever the current took them. Adrien was one of the latter, never staying in one place for too long.

The Gorilla grabbed the mer and threw him over his shoulder. Then, he followed Madame Sancoeur up the sweeping marble stairs that lead to the mansion of a house. She rapped sharply on one of the grand, wooden double doors. With an audible click, the doors unlocked and swung open. A tall, black-haired man in rumpled black clothes stood in front of them.

"Plagg." Madame Sacoeur greeted him stiffly.

"Nathalie." He drawled.

"Do you know where Lord Agreste is?" She inquired.

"I think he's in his office, why?" Plagg replied.

"That does not concern you."

"I beg to differ."

"If you must know, the mer that Lord Agreste requested arrived."

"Hmph. About time." Plagg grumbled. "Nooroo has been driving me insane with his constant fretting about how 'Master has been so unhappy lately!', 'I'm so worried, Master is in a bad mood again' and, of course, the ever-annoying, 'Master says that he hasn't had any inspiration lately and I have to do something to help him!' now there'll be less work for me, and less listening to Nooroo complain."

Madame Sancoeur glided past Plagg, leaving him grumbling in the entry hall. The Gorilla followed behind, still carrying Adrien. They walked past many doors, all of which looked exactly alike. Finally, Madame Sancoeur stopped in front of one.

Nocking softly, she called out, "Sir, the mer that you requested for has arrived."

"You may come in." A cold voice answered.

Adrien fidgeted nervously, earning a grumble from the Gorilla, who tightened his grip on the mer. Nathalie pushed open the door, revealing an office.

It was full of paper.

Paper everywhere.

Paper covered the desk.

The walls.

The floors.

Some were crumpled up, but they all had one thing in common.

They were all covered in sketches of elegant outfits.

At the desk, sat a tall man with grey hair, who was wearing a sharp suit. He looked up from his papers at Madame Nathalie.

"Leave the mer here and send for Plagg, you are both dismissed." He returned to his papers.

Madame Sancoeur nodded and motioned for the Gorilla to set Adrien down on the cold marble floor. The Gorilla set him down, considerably gentler than Captain Bourgeois's men had dropped him. Adrien lay on the floor uncomfortably, twisting around as best he could with the bonds, until he was sitting up, tail curled around himself. This wasn't _too_ bad, he supposed, but the fact the sea was so far away was depressing.

_ I wish I had never gone near that ship. _

A loud knock shook the mer from his thoughts. Adrien sat up, watching curiously as Plagg entered.

"You called?" Plagg asked, his voice stiff. He was clearly displeased at having been summoned.

"Yes." Lord Agreste didn't glance up from his work. "As of now, you are in charge of the mer. Make sure he is fed and taken care of."

"Fine," Plagg responded coldly. "Let's go, kid." Gabbing Adrien's tail, he dragged the mer out of Lord Agreste's office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we meet Captain Ladybug!
> 
> Stay Magical,
> 
> CoordinatedChaos


	5. Plagg has Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien meets Plagg.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I'm back! I want to thank Diane, for pointing out the fact that I spelled Chloe's last name wrong, that really helps. I also want to thank both Diane and fanficaddict1 for being the first to comment! Your comments always brighten my day and give me support! For all my wonderful readers, I would like to thank you for giving this fanfic, and me, a chance. Please feel free to point out any mistakes you find. It is really helpful and I will always fix them!  
I also wanted to apologize for the week-long delay, we're doing a science fair in biology, and my teacher gave us a project that took far longer than expected, I was working on it all weekend.  
I should probably stop blabbering now and get on the with the chapter. It's en extra long one that you should enjoy! So here you go! Chapter 4 of Black Scales

Dragging the mer by his tail, Plagg clomped down the stairs and out of the mansion, finally coming to a stop by an empty pond full of clear water that resided in the immaculately cared-for gardens. The gardens were beautiful and smooth, stone pathways glided through the shrubbery. Flowers of all kinds released their fragrant smells into the air, blending their scents into one harmonious perfume. White butterflies flitted back and forth amongst the plants, drifting in the breeze. With dusk descended upon the garden, the air was sharp and cold. Plagg dropped the mers tail and turned around, pulling out a knife from his pocket and sawing through the ropes on Adrien's wrists.

"So unnecessary." The black-haired man muttered as he removed the gag. "Some humans have no respect for other species."

Adrien rubbed his wrists, pausing to examine where the rough rope had cut into his skin, leaving irritated, red marks. The marks smarted, but Adrien guessed that they would be completely healed in a few days. Leaning down, Plagg picked up the mer, with more strength than one would assume, and dumped him into the pond. The water felt crisp and refreshing on Adrien's dry scales. The pond itself was spacious, but drab, with little to nothing to look at. Adrien floated back up to the surface and stared at Plagg.

"Thank you for taking the ropes off." He said gratefully. "They were cutting into my wrists."

"You're welcome, kid." Plagg pulled out a pale yellow triangle from his pocket, shoving it all in his mouth. When he swallowed, he pulled out another.

"What's that?" Adrien inquired.

"What's what?" Plagg glanced around, trying to figure out what the mer was asking about.

Adrien pointed to the object in the man's hand.

"Oh, this. Listen carefully because it is one of the most important things to learn about human culture." Plagg paused dramatically. "This is called cheese, particularly Camembert cheese."

"Cheese." Adrien cocked his head, trying out the word in his mouth. "What is cheese?"

"Only the most delicious food that humans have ever invented!" Plagg held out the slice of Camembert to Adrien. "Try some."

Reaching out, Adrien grabbed the cheese, turning it over in his hands. He brought it up to his mouth and was just about to take a bite when he caught a whiff of the stink rising off of it. Gagging, he handed it back to Plagg.

"No, thank you." He coughed, trying to rid the horrid smell from his nose. "You can have it."

Plagg shrugged and popped it in his mouth. "More for me."

When he finished his cheese, Plagg studied the mer. "I've never seen a mer with black scales before. I wasn't aware that mer could even _ have _ black scales."

Self-conscious, Adrien sank lower into the water, all but his eyes and the tips of his ears submerged. Plagg lowered himself down to sit cross-legged at the edge of the pond.

"You don't have to disappear. I was just commenting."

Adrien pulled himself back up, crossing his arms and resting them on the side of the pond. Plagg raised a hand, mussing up his already wild hair, and turned around to watch as the sun started to set. The temperature of the air and the water slowly lowered as Adrien and Plagg, in companionable silence, watched the brilliant colors the sky was displaying 

_ Plagg seems nice _ . Adrien mused. _ He at least hasn't been violent like most of the other humans. Why are humans always so violent? They're even violent with their own species. _

Plagg suddenly turned to Adrien, "Do you have a name, kid?"

Startled, the black-scaled mer just nodded. Adrien fidgeted as Plagg continued to watch him expectantly. Finally, it hit him. Widening his cat-like eyes, he realized that Plagg had asked him what his name was.

"Sorry! My name is Adrien."

"Great. Well, Adrien, how would you feel about getting out of here?"

Adrien's brow furrowed as he tried to understand what Plagg was asking. "What do you mean?"

"Well, frankly, I'm bored." the man responded leisurely, lying down on the cold stone next to the pond, "I've had this job, for what, a month now? Honestly, it was Duusu's fault in the first place. She was friends with Lady Emilie Agreste, so they started working together, than Nooroo wanted to work with Duusu, so he worked with Lord Gabriel Agreste, and they both worked side by side with Lady Agreste and Duusu. Apparently, according to Nooroo, who will never shut up, and tells the most confusing stories about this, by the way, Lady Agreste and Duusu were Lord Agreste's inspiration for something or another, probably his designs. Unfortunately, Lady Agreste suddenly disappeared, and Lord Agreste, became cold and lifeless, a real stick-in-the-mud if you ask me, and then took it all out on poor Félix Agreste, his son. Then Lord Agreste had Duusu and Nooroo start working under him and not as partners. . ."

By that point, the poor mer was completely confused but managed to catch something about a Guardian who sent Plagg to help resolve the situation.

". . . Anyways, I ended up here, am ready to leave, and I miss Sugarcube, but don't tell her I said that. I wasn't able to fix anything, it may actually be worse than before, but then again, Sugarcube says I have a habit of destroying everything I touch, so it is now no longer my problem, and I should probably alert the Guardian that his perfect plan failed and I figured since mer have no business being out of the ocean, terrible idea anyway, I could take you back before I leave Paris."

Plagg sat up, awaiting the mers answer. Completely confused, but not wasting a chance to return to the ocean, Adrien nodded his head quickly.

"I have just one question," Adrien asked, uncertainly.

"Yeah?"

"How exactly am I going to get out of Lord Agreste's mansion, much less all the way back down through the town to reach the docks? I can't exactly walk out of here like you can."

"Oh, trust me, that's the easy part, kid." Plagg tugged at a silver ring on his finger, which Adrien hadn't previously noticed. 

Sliding it off, he handed it to Adrien, who examined it, trying to figure out just what it had to do with escaping. 

"Put it on and wait here." Plagg stood up, running down the garden path and disappearing.

By now, it was dark, and the stars had come out. Adrien paused, taking in the past few minutes. Everything had gone very fast, and the mer was still extremely confused.

_ At least now, I have a way back to the ocean. _

While the pond was water, it was freshwater. The saltwater ocean was better for a mer's health and happiness. The sea was alive and full of motion, while the freshwater of the pond was dense and stifling. The mer settled down to wait for Plagg.

* * *

The bushes rustled, and Adrien's head snapped up, cat eyes glowing brightly in the darkness.

"Plagg?" he whispered hesitantly, finned ears perking up alertly.

The boy that tumbled out of the bushes was definitely not Plagg. Adrien quickly ducked under the water.

"I already know you're there." He heard the boy's voice call out.

Adrien stayed still under the water, hoping the boy would leave. Instead, a face appeared above the pond, distorted by the surface of the water. The boy had white-blond hair that exploded into a soft, fluffy mess. He seemed to be about fourteen or fifteen and was dressed all in black. He had cold, ice-blue eyes that were currently staring critically at the mer beneath the surface.

"Are you going to stay under there all night?" The boy raised an eyebrow.

Adrien sheepishly rose to the surface. "No."

"I'm not going to hurt you, you know. I just wanted to talk to you."

"Okay."

"I was curious about the mer that Father said he brought in, and figured to come to see you for myself. Of course, Plagg dumps you in the most remote area of the garden."

"You know Plagg?" Adrien asked.

"Yes. He is my. . ." Here, the boy paused. "I guess you could say tutor, nanny, servant, constant annoyance. Any one of those will do."

The mer snickered, finding it hard to imagine Plagg tutoring or babysitting anyone. Adrien had only known the man for a few hours, but his first impression was that he wasn't terribly responsible.

"I figured that I would warn you about Father," the boy continued. "He is very strict and doesn't respond well to insubordination. I learned _ that _ the hard way."

"Are you Félix Agreste?" Adrien asked. "And your father is Gabriel Agreste?"

"Yes, I am Félix."

"Why are you out so late?"

"Because I had lessons with my tutors earlier."

"So you snuck out after dark just to wander the gardens and try to find me?"

Félix sighed. "If you must know, I am going to see Bridgette. The rest is none of your business."

"Oh." Adrien had no idea who Bridgette was.

Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by Plagg, who was carrying a black bundle in his arms. The man froze when he saw someone standing over the pond. As soon as he saw it was Félix, he relaxed.

Adrien was puzzled, Surely Félix finding being there ruined Plagg's plans fro sneaking out.

Plagg just smirked. "So, young master Félix is off to see his secret lover again?"

Félix suddenly choked on air, and his face turned bright red. "I don't have any idea what you're talking about." He turned away from Plagg. "I was just taking a walk, that's all."

"In the middle of the night?" Plagg asked smugly. "Please, Félix, you don't think I know where you sneak out to every night?"

"You don't think I know that you're trying to sneak the mer back to the ocean?" Félix challenged. "What would Father say about that?"

"If you don't want me to tell your father about you sneaking out at night to see the girl he deemed 'unsatisfactory' for his son, then you're going to stay silent." Plagg threatened. "Hope you have fun snogging Bridgette. Tell her, I said hello." He finished teasingly.

Félix didn't dignify that with an answer. His face turned even redder, if possible, and he glared at Plagg before walking stiffly away.

As soon as he left, Plagg doubled over in laughter. "Félix thinks he's so sneaky like I don't know when he silently creeps out of his window to go visit Bridgette. I've got to give him credit though, he managed to fool Lord Agreste and Madame Nathalie, the boy has got the silent grace of a cat." Straightening up, he added, "I should know, as you're about to find out."

"What's a cat?" Adrien asked.

"What's a cat?" Plagg echoed in astonishment, "You don't know what a cat is?"

Adrien shook his head.

"Well, we've got to fix that right now."

He set the black bundle down on the stones by the fountain. Standing up tall, he raised his arms dramatically, there was a bright green flash, and then Plagg was gone. Standing in his place was a small, jet black, animal covered in long silky fur with two bright green, slitted eyes and a long tail. Adrien gawked in bewilderment.

"This is a cat, kid." The animal's voice sounded like Plagg's.

"Plagg?" Adrien inquired. "Is that you?"

"Why do you sound so uncertain? Of course, it's me! Are you blind?" The cat bristled indignantly and stalked up to the pond, pausing in front of Adrien's face. With a cheeky grin, Plagg swatted the mer on the nose with his paw. The blond-haired mer jerked back in surprise, blinking. He stared wide-eyed at Plagg, their noses only inches apart. Two pairs of electric green cat eyes mirroring each other.

"It's about time we get moving." Plagg walked a few steps away from the pond and shifted back to his human form.

"What are you?" Adrien leaned in, eyes wide. "Can you do any other tricks?"

"Tricks!" Plagg sputtered indignantly. "Kid, I can do far more than mere tricks! I am Plagg, the all-powerful Kwami of destruction! I am a quantic god, a deity who has been worshiped and feared by civilizations for millennia! I caused the destruction of the dinosaurs, the sinking of Atlantis, the Black Plague." he said grandly, "The Leaning Tower of Pisa was an accident, however, I wasn't looking where I was going." Then he scowled, "I leave for a couple of centuries, and all of a sudden, everyone forgets my name. Humans. Maybe it's time for another plague?" the Kwami mused. 

"I have no idea what any of that means, but it sounds very impressive," Adrien commented earnestly.

Plagg sniffed. "You should be impressed, but that's not the point. I'm staving, transforming is exhausting, plus it's late, we need to leave."

He pulled out a piece of Camembert from his pocket, humming in delight as he stuffed it in his mouth. When he finished, he walked over to Adrien. Grabbing the mers right hand, where Plaggs silver ring now rested, he gave careful instructions. "When I tell you, say the words 'Claws Out' that will transform you so we can hightail it out of here. When you transform, put these on." He picked up the black bundle, unfolding a black pants and a black tunic. He also unfolded a long, black, hooded cloak.

"Okay, now say 'Claws Out.'"

"Claws Out!"

There was a flash of green light, and Adrien felt a line of tingles run down his scaled tail. The light faded. Adrien shivered, hugging himself. It had become much colder all of a sudden. As a mer, Adrien had a high tolerance for cold. The bottom of the ocean is far away from sunlight's reach, after all. Glancing down at the water, Adrien let out a small shriek. Where his shiny black tail had been, a moment before, were now two very human legs. Plagg cackled.

"Plagg!"

"Well, how else did you think you were going to get out of here?" The Kwami grinned. "Just put on the clothes so we can leave."

Adrien used his arms to hoist himself out of the pond. Sitting on the edge, he turned and glanced at his reflection in the water. His black finned ears had shrunk and turned the peach of human ears, and his pupils were no longer slits. Peering at his hand, he noticed that the ring had changed to black. In the center was the glowing green symbol of a cat paw. Carefully, he stood up, wobbling and arms out for balance. He lifted a foot off the ground in an attempt to take a step and pitched forward. Hands out to lessen the blow, Adrien was surprised when he felt steady hands holding him up. Plagg had caught him at the last moment, preventing the blond-haired boy from hitting the ground. 

"You've got to be more careful." Plagg scolded, looking almost. . . concerned? "Let me help you."

Grabbing the mers hand, Plagg gestured for him to try again. Hesitantly, Adrien took another step, and then another, until he was eventually able to walk without Plagg's help.

"Now that you've got walking down, you should probably put these on." The Kwami help up the bundle of clothes. "Humans are rather picky about decency, and it's frowned upon and considered indecent if you don't wear them."

Adrien nodded, and with the help of Plagg, he put on the clothes, tugging on them until they were straight.

"Plagg, don't humans wear things on their feet?" He pointed to Plagg's black boots.

"Hmm, yes, most humans wear shoes, but it's not that big of a deal. We don't have time to waste by having me run back into the mansion and steal a pair of Félix's shoes.

"These are Félix's?" Adrien plucked at the tunic.

"Yes, but he won't miss them, goodness knows he's got enough clothes, what with his father being a famous fashion designer. Anyway, we should get moving." He pulled up the hood of Adrien's cloak. "And you should probably twist the ring, so the green, glowing, cat paw isn't facing out."

Adrien twisted the ring around so that only the black band showed. Plagg turned and started walking down one of the paths in the garden. Stumbling, Adrien hurried to keep up.

* * *

Soon, the pair arrived at the edge of the port town, just inside the line of trees that began the forest.

"I have some business to attend to, so you are going to have to go the rest of the way by yourself, kid." Plagg informed Adrien.

"But I don't even know where to go." Adrien bit his lip.

"You need to find the _Lucky Charm_. Just go into the tavern. You should be able to ask someone in there."

"How do I know which one is the tavern?"

"It's the small, dirty building with the lights on and loud noise coming out of it. Got it?"

Adrien nodded. That didn't sound pleasant at all.

"See you soon." With that, Plagg walked off into the trees, quickly blending into the night.

Adrien took a deep breath and steeled himself. Then he walked down into the town.

* * *

He quickly found the tavern, as it was the only building with the lights still glowing. He pushed open the door slowly and stepped in, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the light. The mer peered around, taking in the grimy tables and low ceiling. The wooden building was small and smelled of alcohol. It was lit by dim candles, and the cracked, dirty floorboards were caked with dirt. All of the people in the tavern seemed unapproachable, all of them sailors or pirates. While scanning the people in an attempt to find someone who looked trustworthy enough to ask for directions, Adrien's eyes caught a flash of bright red.

Sitting at the bar, a mug in her hand, was a beautiful young lady wearing a bright red pirate coat, decorated with gold embroidery. The woman was wearing black pants and boots and had on a red hat with a black feather sticking out of it. Her hair was a beautiful shade of midnight blue that shone in the dim candlelight. She glanced up at him, and he realized that he'd walked towards her and was now standing directly in front of her.

"May I help you?" She asked, her voice soft and melodic.

Adrien blinked quickly, trying to rid his brain of the fog that had come down upon it unbidden. He pulled back the hood of the cloak. "I'm looking for a ship called the _ Lucky Charm_, would you by any chance know where to find it?'

"Why, yes." The woman smiled, showing off her white teeth. "The_ Lucky Charm _ is my ship." She held out her slender hand for him to shake. "My name is Captain Ladybug.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yes, I managed to sneak Félix and Bridgette in there. I love the PV version of Miraculous so much. I know that some of you are new to the fandom and aren't aware of the fact there is a PV version. I'm going to direct you to Edorazzi at tumbler, she will educate you! Check out her Twin AU or Mentor AU. Thank you to all my amazing readers for staying with me!
> 
> Stay Magical,  
CoordinatedChaos


	6. The Lucky Charm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien tastes rum for the first time, guiltily lies to Ladybug, and didn't realize that Ladybug and Plagg know each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I’m back with another chapter! I just wanted to let everyone know that I haven’t really edited these chapters, so I apologize for any grammar or spelling mistakes. I’m afraid that the only time I have to write all week is on the weekends, and sometimes not even then. My life is pretty busy, school starts at 8:20 and goes until 5:00, plus I have extra activities after school almost every day. I try to keep the weekends free, but sometimes things come up. Sadly, I have to rush these chapters sometimes. 😕 I will try to always get a chapter out on the weekend, but I apologize if that is sometimes not possible.  
Anyway, don’t worry, I will get around to editing, probably during Thanksgiving break!😊 In the meantime, I will take note of any comments with suggestions on things to edit, or possible future plot-line. (I had a plot-line, but the characters kind of just threw it out the window, oh well).  
I also want to thank everyone who commented or added kudos! It makes me smile to know that my work is appreciated! 😁  
For now, enjoy the next chapter!

Adrien shook her outstretched hand hesitantly, letting go rather quickly. He wasn't sure how long was too long. It would have been nice if Plagg had taught him more about human greetings and social customs before sending him out on his own.

"May I ask why you were looking for my ship?" Captain Ladybug asked curiously.

"Um," Adrien wasn't actually sure why Plagg had told him to find that particular ship, "Well, uh, my . . . friend," What _ was _ Plagg to Adrien? Friend, acquaintance, partner in crime? "told me to find it, although he didn't really give me a lot of instruction as to _ why _. H-he left before I could ask."

Ladybugs deep, azure-blue eyes twinkled as she giggled, a light tinkle that, for some reason, made Adrien blush.

"Well, you can wait for him here, if you would like." She gestured to the rough, wooden bar stool next to her. "Would you care for a drink?"

Adrien climbed onto the wobbly bar stool. "Sure.

Ladybug rapped loudly on the bar with her knuckles, catching the bartender's attention. "Could I get one more, please?"

"Coming right up."

Adrien jumped as the bartender, a large, bearded man, slammed a mug down in front of him. He peered cautiously down into the cup. Shrugging, he tipped it back and gulped. He quickly spat it out again, spraying it everywhere. While the liquid was sweet, it burned like fire. The bartender glared at him as he coughed, eyes watering.

"Sorry." He managed, trying to rid his tongue of the burning sensation.

"I gather that you've never had rum before, have you?" The black feather in Captain Ladybugs hat bounced as she tried unsuccessfully to hold back her laughter by covering her mouth with her hand. Her cheeks were red as she grinned. The red faded, and her eyes crinkled from smiling.

Adrien shook his head, messy blond hair falling in his face, as he stared at his hands in his lap. He brushed his bangs out of his eyes, looking up, and caught Ladybug staring. She quickly turned away, cheeks flushed.

"Could we get some water?" The words came tumbling out of Ladybug's mouth as she caught the eye of the bartender.

When the water arrived, Adrien gratefully downed it, soothing his mouth. He sighed in relief.

Ladybug waited until he had finished before asking, "I don't believe that I caught your name."

"Adrien."

Ladybug continued to watch him expectantly. Then he realized that most humans had a second, family name as well as their first one.

Adrien frantically ransacked his mind before blurting out, "Agreste, Adrien Agreste."

"Agreste! You're related to Gabriel Agreste?" Ladybug exclaimed breathlessly, "The famous designer?"

Adrien nodded guiltily, fully aware that he was lying to one of the few people that had shown him any kindness.

“I’m a huge fan of his work. May I inquire as to how you are related?" Ladybug questioned.

Adrien froze, panicking. How much _did _Captain Ladybug know about the Agreste family? Would she be able to tell that he was lying? What if she found out that he was lying and became angry at him and left? Then he'd have to tell Plagg that he failed the one, easy, trivial task that the Kwami had trusted him with! What if Ladybug somehow realized that he was a mer and turned him back in to Lord Agreste?

Ladybug interrupted his internal conflict, "It's okay, you don't have to tell me, I was just wondering."

Adrien breathed an internal sigh of relief. He relaxed his muscles, realizing how tense he was.

"So, how did you come to these parts?" Ladybug took a swing from her mug.

"I-," Adrien began.

"There you are, kid!" Plagg interrupted loudly. "I've been looking for you!"

"Plagg!" Adrien had started to get worried.

"Well, Captain Ladybug!" Plagg grinned, greeting the young woman. "How's Tikki doing?"

"Plagg!" Ladybug said breathlessly, "She's doing fine, I still don't understand how that woman manages to stay looking twenty even though she's been mentoring me almost my entire life. Speaking of that, you haven't changed a bit!"

"Some things must remain a mystery." Plagg winked.

Captain Ladybug turned to Adrien, "You didn't tell me that your friend was Plagg."

“Um.” Adrien hadn’t been aware that they knew each other.

"Plagg used to help Tikki mentor me! I've known him since I was little!"

"Speaking of Sugarcube, we should go see her. Where did you leave your ship?" Plagg continued impatiently.

"In a cove, a little way down the cliffs, Alya's taking care of it."

"Well, then what are we waiting for?" Plagg asked.

The trio walked towards the entrance of the tavern, Captain Ladybug leading the way, her dark hair bouncing loosely around her shoulders.

"By the way, you don't happen to have any Camembert on that vessel of yours, do you?" Plagg grumbled, "I'm starving!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed, see you next weekend!
> 
> (P.S. What do you guys think about me possibly starting a Miraculous Ladybug one-shot collection? I have had some ideas lately if you are interested.😉)


	7. The Cave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybugs hiding place is ridiculously complicated. Adrien can't swim. Plagg loves to complain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I’m back! I’m happy to say that I got my first restful weekend in about a month. the past few weeks have been super busy. Hope you enjoy the next chapter!

Plagg, Adrien, and Captain Ladybug reached the edge of the cliff overhead the cove. The night air was crisp and refreshing. It smelled like the salty ocean, and Adrien gave a small grin, relieved to be near the sea again.

"There’s our way down.” Captain Ladybug pointed to a steep, narrow, meandering path that wound down the cliffs, which consisted mainly of sharp, jagged rocks.

Adrien bit his lip, he didn’t like his chances, considering he'd just learned to walk a few hours ago. He still stumbled and tripped more than what he was sure was normal. Captain Ladybug had noticed and had given him a weird look before telling him that he reminded her of herself before she became used to the rocking of her ship.

“Are you certain that’s the only way down?” Plagg asked, giving a quick concerned glance at Adrien.

“Yup.” Ladybug chirped. “I specifically anchored _ The Lucky Charm _, where I knew people wouldn’t be able to get to it. There are certain precautions one has to take when one is a pirate after all.”

Adrien did a double-take. He hadn’t known that she was a pirate, he'd just thought that she was a sailor, maybe part of a navy. He suddenly felt even more uneasy about this whole idea. He subtly took a step closer to Plagg, shoving his doubt down.

_ I can trust Plagg, right? He wouldn’t have gone through all the difficulties of getting me here, just to betray me. _

Adrien realized that, for some reason, even though he'd known Plagg for less than a day, he _ did _ trust him. While Plagg was coarse and indifferent on the outside, he could be kind and was dependable. He cared about Adrien.

"Come on!" Ladybug began down the path, motioning for the two to follow her.

Adrien took a deep breath, steadying himself for the challenging hike.

"Here," Plagg held out his hand to the mer. "I'll go first, you hold my hand, and I'll guide you down."

Adrien hesitantly grabbed the Kwamis hand. It was warm, Plagg's palm rough and calloused.

"Thanks."

"Try to bend your knees and use your other hand on the side of the cliff to steady yourself."

Together, the two followed Ladybug.

* * *

When the trio arrived at the bottom, Adrien breathed a sigh of relief. He had tripped several times, and on an even steeper part, he'd had to slide down on his bottom. Thankfully, Plagg had been a tremendous help, and at one point, even keeping Adrien from tumbling off the side of the cliff. Adrien and Plagg followed Ladybug across the rocky beach.

The narrow beach consisted almost entirely of smooth, grey rocks. There were tide pools scattered here and there. The waves were rough, promising to drag you out to sea if you were to be caught by them. The moon glittered on the waves, its silver light casting a beautiful reflection. The scent of the sea in the cool breeze was intoxicating, its salty smell calming and invigorating. Adrien desperately wanted to go for a swim. Alone and free, gliding effortlessly through the fridged water. 

The tall cliffs almost completely hid the three from view. Picking their way across the shore, they _all _tripped and almost fell at one point or another. The rocks were slippery and coated with algae and seaweed, which snagged their feet. Just walking was taxing, and the trio quickly became out of breath.

Between gasps, Ladybug panted, "I hid . . . my ship. Oof! In a small cave . . . in the cliff over there. " She pointed.

Sure enough, there was a shadowy crack in the cliffs.

"You couldn't . . . have . . . hid . . . your ship, somewhere marginally easier to access?" Plagg questioned, pausing to rest his hands on his knees.

Ladybug halted. "I could have, but it was mainly Tikki's idea."

"Go figure she would unearth a place like this." Plagg grumbled.

They continued the rest of the way in silence. They climbed up a pile of large boulders to reach the crack. When they arrived at the top, Ladybug stopped, standing in front of the entrance to the cave. Adrien peered around her. The path ended abruptly, descending into darkness.

"The seawater floods the bottom of the cave, so we're going to have to swim the rest of the way." She warned them.

Plagg scowled. "I'm going to have a word with Sugarcube when we get to your ship because this is ridiculous."

Ladybug shrugged, smirking as she swiveled around, her bright red cloak flying out behind her. Adrien heard a splash as she dove into the inky water.

"Plagg," he began.

"Yes, kid?"

"I don't know how to swim in this form."

The Kwami groaned. He ran his hand down his face before sighing. "Well, you have two options, learn right now, it really isn't that hard, or say 'Claws in' and swim there as a mer. You'd just have to be careful to make sure she doesn't see you. You shouldn't have _ too _ much of a problem, as it _ is _ pitch black down there, anyway."

Weighing both options in his head, Adrien opted for the first one. It was the safest. "I guess I'll just learn how to swim this way."

He stood at the edge of the cave, before plunging in with a resounding splash.

The black water was shockingly cold, and Adrien gasped in surprise. That was a mistake. Water flew up his nose and in his mouth. He frantically thrashed, trying to reach the surface. Used to having a powerful tail, his legs made almost no headway. His waterlogged clothing was heavy and dragged him down. Adrien's lungs burned, screaming for air. He desperately reached a foot down, hoping to find something to push off of, but the bottom was too far below. He couldn't see anything in the pitch-black water and couldn't even utter the words 'Claws in'.

A hand grabbed his arm roughly, yanking him up to the surface. Head breaking the surface, Adrien sputtered and coughed, trying to rid himself of the water in his lungs.

"Great, less than five minutes in, and you've already almost drowned."

"Plagg!" Adrien gasped, relaxing slightly. His heart pounded, for a moment there, he was afraid he was actually going to. . . Then he frowned. "It's not like it was my fault, a bit of help _ before _ I almost drowned would have been nice."

"Well, you would think the _ mer _ would know how to swim." Plagg's eyes shone softly in the dark, their green irises reflecting a little bit of light. "How about a _ Thank you, Plagg, for saving my life. _"

"Thanks."

"Good enough," Plagg said gruffly. "You worried me there, kid. I couldn't find you for a minute."

"I think I should just transform."

"Oh, it's too late for that now, Mer Boy. If you transform now, Little Miss I'll Just Hide My Ship In The Most Ludicrous Place over there is going to see the bright green light when you transform."

Adrien groaned.

"Relax, kid. I'll guide you just hang onto me."

Adrien reached out blindly, clutching Plagg, who guided them both through the icy cave water.

Curious, Adrien asked quietly, "Can you see, Plagg?"

"Faintly, probably better than you right now." The Kwami answered. "Comes with being part cat. Did I mention that cats detest water? Because I'm _ not _ enjoying this, just to let you know. I need more Camembert, I don't get enough for the kind of stuff I go through."

Adrien snickered.

"Right, take pleasure in my pain," Plagg whined dramatically. "just what I need right now."

"Are you okay back there?" Ladybug's voice sliced through the thick blackness of the cave.

"Yup, just fine!" Plagg called back. "Miserable and soaking wet and frozen and starving. Why do you ask?"

Ladybugs delicate laughter floated back, echoing in the large cave. "You're almost there, drama king!"

"You owe me a boat-load of Camembert!" Plagg yelled back. "Not to mention that the kid almost drowned trying to swim to your ridiculous excuse for a hiding place!"

A soft light sputtered in the darkness. A few yards away, Ladybug stood on the deck of a large, two-masted ship, holding up a lantern. Her brow was wrinkled, and her mouth turned down. "Are you okay, Adrien?"

He nodded. Ladybug dropped down a rope ladder. Plagg pulled him to it and, treading water, motioned for the mer to climb up. Adrien cautiously placed a foot on the bottom rung, grabbing the rope sides. Carefully making his way up, he mentally crossed his fingers, hoping that he didn't fall back into the water. The rope ladder swayed precariously, threatening to knock him off. He reached the railing of the deck, and Ladybug grasped his forearms, pulling him aboard. She materialized a blanket and wrapped it around his shoulders.

"Are you sure you're okay?" She queried softly.

"I'm fine. It wasn't that bad." He fiddled with the frayed hem of the blanket. Grateful for the warmth it brought him.

"If I'd known that you didn't know how to swim, I would have stayed back and assisted you." She fretted, drying his hair with another blanket.

Plagg hauled himself over the railing and shook his head quickly, spraying water everywhere.

"What, no warm towel for me?" He teased.

Ladybug stuck her tongue out at the Kwami, wiping the scattered droplets from her face. "Maybe if you hadn't _ complained _ the entire time." She said delicately.

"Maybe if you hadn't picked the hardest cave in the _ world _ to reach." Plagg countered with a mischievous grin.

"Tikki!" Ladybug yelled, "Come deal with your fiancé!"

A door leading below deck opened, and a petite woman with bright red hair marched out onto the wooden deck. Adrien presumed that she was Tikki.

"Plagg." she chided. "What problems have you been causing now?"

"None, Sugarcube. I've been perfect as usual." He said, smiling angelically.

Tikki grinned, "Now, both you and I know better than that."

She walked over and pecked Plagg on the cheek before turning to Adrien. He waved at her shyly.

"What poor child have you dragged into your schemes this time, Stinkysock?" she asked the Kwami.

"This is Adrien." Plagg acknowledged, "He just needs a ride, Tikk."

"Hmm." Tikki murmured, an expression crossing her face that Adrien couldn't read.

The two exchanged a look that said they would continue the discussion later.

"Ladybug, dear." Tikki said sweetly, "Would you please take Adrien and show him around. If he's going to be staying with us for a while, then he should learn his way around." She turned to Plagg, catching him as he stealthily attempted to hide below deck. "You stay here, Plagg." Plagg turned around, a guilty grin on his face.

"Come on," Ladybug took Adrien's hand, her confident grip causing his cheeks to heat up. "I'll give you the grand tour!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to say thanks for all the positive feedback I’ve been getting too far. It makes me so happy, like I’m filled up with sunlight and fluff! I’ve also decided to start a Miraculous one-shot book. It might take me a while though, so you can probably expect it next month.
> 
> Stay Magical,  
CoordinatedChaos


	8. The Grand Tour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug gives Adrien the grand tour. Adrien meets Alya. I recover from an exhausting Halloween week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, my wonderful readers! Did everyone a great Halloween? I know I did! I am so glad that everyone has been enjoying this story so far, it makes my insides fill up with wonderful, happy butterflies! Not the akuma kind, don't worry! ;)  
(I also realized that I never named chapter 6, so I went back and gave it a name).
> 
> Now for the next chapter-

Captain Ladybug lead Adrien through the ship. "Here's the captain's cabin, otherwise known as my cabin." She pointed to a door that was propped open.

Adrien peeked in. Inside was a hammock, small wooden desk with a lit candle resting on it, and a large chest decorated with gold clasps.

Ladybug proceeded down the hall, the wooden floor squeaking softly under her boots. "This is my first mate, Alya's cabin." She raised the lantern she was carrying and touched a finger to her lips. "But be quiet, because she's sleeping. Alya never did approve of my staying up late and waking up late." Ladybug grinned. "She always complains when she has to wake me up, but it's worth it. I feel most alive at night." The pirate pointed to another door, "That is Tikki's room." The sound of hushed arguing voices floated through the door, too faint for Adrien to be able to make out what they were saying.

Continuing the tour, Ladybug pointed out the other cabins. When they approached the end of the hallway, she paused and gestured to the door at the end, "That hatch leads down to the hold, where we store food and water. It's also where the brig is, not that we've ever had to put anyone in there."

Adrien listened, doing his best to memorize the different rooms and parts of the ship.

"Well, that's the end of everything below deck. Unless you want to go down and see the brig and the hold?" Ladybug inquired, tilting her head slightly.

"No, it's fine." Adrien shook his head.

"Well then, I should show you where everything above deck is as well. Follow me.” Ladybug walked briskly back down the hall, her boots tapping softly.

Adrien hastened to keep up with her, climbing up the stairs to the main deck. Ladybug stood in the middle, her arms spread grandly, an enormous smile extending across her face. "This is the main deck and my favorite part of the _Lucky Charm_! Normally, when we're out on the open ocean, you can see for miles, hear the sound of the waves and the taste of salt on the breeze." Adrien stepped closer to stand in front of her. Her voice grew low. "It feels like freedom. The freedom to sail where ever you desire, nothing holding you back."

Adrien watched her. Ladybug's eyes were so blue, brilliant, and shimmering like the moonlight on the ocean waves. Her midnight hair was loose and cascaded down her shoulders. He noticed that she had delicate freckles splashed across her flawless, creamy ivory skin.

_ She’s so beautiful. _Adrien thought, No, he amended, _She’s just a friend. Not even that, I’ve known her for less than a day. _

The young woman's eyes locked on Adrien's, and a rosy blush lightly tinged her cheeks. Adrien quickly became conscious of his heated face. Ladybug turned abruptly, shattering the moment.

She coughed awkwardly, her voice once again taking a more business-like tone "Um, well, to continue the tour, that is the foremast," She gestured to the mast at the front of the ship. "And that is the mainmast." she pointed to the one in the middle of the main deck. "You should do your best to learn these terms because if you're staying on my ship, you're going to pull your own weight and help out." She sternly wagged a finger at Adrien. "But speaking of working, we should go down and wake everyone up, we need to set sail soon."

Adrien realized that he had no inkling of what time of day it was, the cave tunnels blocked out all the light. Ladybug skipped down below deck gleefully.

"I can't wait for it to be _me_ waking up _Alya _for once." She grinned cheekily at Adrien. "She gives me the rudest awakenings."

The pirate captain tiptoed to her first mate's cabin door. She twisted the doorknob gently, wincing when the door creaked as she pushed it open. Adrien gazed over Ladybug's shoulder, the small cabin had a trunk and a hammock in it. The hammock was currently occupied by a bundle of blankets and mop of auburn hair. Ladybug crept over to the hammock, seizing the edge with both hands.

Then, quick as a flash, she yanked the edge up, bellowing, "ALYA, WAKE UP!"

Said first mate was dumped the two feet down onto the floor, landing in a disgruntled pile of blankets. Alya sprung up, eyes wild, a thin silver knife in her hand, and grabbed the collar of Ladybug's red coat. Then she blinked and appeared to recognize who it was. Alya relaxed and sheathed the knife.

Alya glared at Ladybug, who was doubled over with laughter, "Girl, you can't just wake someone up like that!"

Ladybug desperately tried to stop her laughter, "Says the person who does the same to their captain almost every day, hypocrite."

"It's not just that," Alya said with an air of righteousness, "it's also the fact that not only did you wake up _ me _, but you also woke up everyone else with all of your yelling."

"Good," Ladybug mimicked brushing nonexistent dust off her hands, “It saves me work, I intended to wake the rest of the crew up anyway."

Alya eyed her captain suspiciously, "Did you stay up _all _night?" she asked.

"Yup. I had some things I need to get done."

"Girl!" Alya screeched, "You need to sleep! Why do you think you always sleep so late in the mornings?"

"Because I like to sleep in. Anyway, have you met Adrien?" Ladybug deftly changed the subject. She waved Adrien over. He had been standing just outside the cabin door, trying to stay out of the line of fire.

"Hello, nice to meet you," He offered.

"Nice to meet you too, I'm Alya Césaire." She smiled, holding out her hand for a shake. "Best friend and first mate of this girl over here." Alya bent her head at Ladybug, giving a mock glare.

Adrien shook her hand. She was much less intimidating when she wasn't irritated.

"Adrien is going to be with us for a while, so I need you to do me a favor and show him the ropes." Ladybug requested.

"Fine, but you owe me. Especially after you woke me up so cruelly." Alya countered.

"Agreed."

"Well, we better get moving, chances are everyone is already up, thanks to you." Alya sighed.

"You're probably right." Ladybug grinned, before exiting the modest cabin.

Alya turned to Adrien. "So, what can you do?"

"What do you mean?" He asked perplexed.

"What can you do _on a ship_." She clarified.

"Um," Adrien thought for a moment, he wasn't sure what you even did on a ship, what the individual tasks were. "What do you need me to do?"

"Well," Alya grinned slyly, "We always need someone to mop the deck and clean."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Tune in next weekend for another update!
> 
> Stay Magical,  
CoordinatedChaos


	9. Going for a Swim

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plagg snores way too loudly, Adrien can't sleep, some decisions are made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I'm back! Sorry for not updating last weekend. I thought I was going to have a pretty free weekend, but then a bunch of assignments got thrown on me last minute. Either way, here is your new chapter!
> 
> (P.S. I just apologize for any clunkiness or grammar mistakes, these are all pretty much first drafts and I don't have a beta or time to edit.)

Adrien collapsed in the threadbare hammock that Captain Ladybug had lent him. Plagg had agreed to share a cabin with him and had helped Adrien hang the hammock. Unfortunately, Plagg snored, and the cabin stank like stinky cheese. Adrien buried his face in scratchy, gray fabric, hoping to block out the smell. He was unsuccessful.

Alya had set him sanding and scrubbing the deck with salt water, which was supposed to keep the planks from leaking or something. Adrien hadn't understood. Then apparently, he had to sand and scrub in a particular direction, which was both needlessly complicated and difficult to remember. Plus, the fact that just the continuous arm motion and kneeling on the deck under the hot sun all day was tiring. Under the water, the sun's rays were muted, and the cooling waves always balanced out the heat. Above the surface, the best he could wish for was the blessing of a cool breeze.

The _Luck Charm _had sailed out of the cave just as the sun had begun to peek over the horizon. Captain Ladybug hadn't said where they were going, but they'd been sailing all day, so he assumed she had a destination. Even though it had been hot, it had been nice to be able to see the ocean again. It had felt distinctly wrong to not be able to smell the salt and feel the refreshing waves.

Adrien rolled over in his hammock, staring at the ceiling. He sighed, but it was drowned out by Plagg's chainsaw snoring. Adrien wondered how someone as lean and compact as Plagg could make such a loud noise. Adrien lay there, exhausted, for a moment more, before he concluded he was never going to be able to sleep. He sat up, groaning. This past week had not been great for the mer.

Adrien hesitantly placed his feet down and stood up, wincing when the floorboards creaked. He glanced at Plagg, relieved when the Kwami didn't hear it. Pushing open the door and tip-toeing out of the cabin, he crept through the hallway and up the stairs to the main deck.

The ship was almost still, Ladybug had anchored it before retiring. Soft silver moonlight cascaded down onto the tranquil sea. The small waves sparkled like millions of elegant diamonds, the white and midnight blue contrasting beautifully. The sky was cloudless, only the full moon and the stars gracing the heavens. Adrien took a deep breath in, smelling the salt on the cool, crisp air. He wandered over to the railing and gazed down into the ocean. It looked so alluring. It couldn't hurt, could it? There was no one else there to see; the remainder of the crew was sleeping below deck. Making up his mind, Adrien pulled off his clothes, folding them into a neat stack and resting them in the shadow of the foremast. He sat on the short railing, feet dangling over the edge.

"Claws in" A bright flash of green light flared.

Adrien dove off the railing, disappearing into the waves with a soft spray of seawater. He sunk down, bubbles floating up around him. The water was smooth and cold, but invigorating. Blinking, Adrien peered around. His night vision was much better as a mer. The water was clear, and he could see almost to the bottom. With a flick of his tail, he glided down. The seafloor was very bare, the only thing there was the occasional thin strand of seaweed to break up the endless white sand. There was no sea life to be seen. This part of the ocean was unfamiliar and a bit unsettling. There had been more sea creatures, rocks, and coral reefs in the part of the sea where Adrien used to live. He realized that he wasn't sure how far he was from home, or even where it _was_. It had been hard enough to tell time in the cabin on the merhunter's ship, and impossible to tell which direction they had been traveling. It was eerily quiet. Adrien glanced around uneasily. Nothing.

Turning slowly, the black scaled mer looked back up at the dark shadow of the _Luck Charm's _hull. The metal anchor rested on the seafloor, a massive chain extending back up to the ship. Gazing back out at the barren seascape, he realized that he could leave. Leave right now, and never glance back. Find his own way home. But. . . Plagg and Tikki had been kind to him, and so had Captain Ladybug, even the first mate, Alya, had been, in her own way. He considered that maybe Plagg had a plan to get him back home. It was a slim chance, but possible. Adrien was also a bit curious about the crew, and how life worked on a ship. He had briefly met a few other people, and they had all seemed friendly. Plus, no one knew or suspected anything about him being a mer. Except for Plagg, and perhaps Tikki. This could be his chance to make some new friends. Mer were solitary creatures, living alone most of their lives. There weren't that many mer remaining, many had been hunted down by people like Captain Bourgeois, who were searching to make money by selling mer as pets, or killing them for their scales and fins, which supposedly had magical properties. The few mer left were scattered about the globe and very rarely ran into each other.

Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back. This could be his opportunity to learn more about humans and broaden his horizons. Adrien swam back up towards the ship. Putting on a burst of extra speed, he launched himself out of the water, landing with a thump on the deck.

Curling his tail beneath himself, he whispered, "Claws out."

The green light glowed, and Adrien stood up shakily. He was soaking wet, but he pulled his clothes on and shook his head swiftly, spraying water everywhere. He snuck back below deck, the creak of the floorboards and the drip of water the only noise. He nudged open the cabin door, careful to shut it behind him, and climbed back into the hammock. Plagg was still snoring, and it still smelled like cheese, but Adrien finally drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish I could give you a longer chapter, I really do, I was planning on writing a longer one, but unfortunately, life called and I was sucked away into the real world. Thank you for being patient with me. I’m trying my best.
> 
> Stay Magical,
> 
> CoordinatedChaos


	10. Tikki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien doesn't like being woken up early. Everything Plagg owns smells like cheese. Tikki is very intimidating for someone so small.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all my beautiful readers! Here's the next chapter! I'm not exactly sure how long to make this, I feel like it's going very quickly, but it could just be me. I hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing Thanksgiving break and I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter.

Adrien awoke to Plagg shaking him. "Hey, kid, wake up." The black-haired Kwami hissed.

Adrien groaned, pulling the thin blanket over his head. "_Plagg_." he mumbled in protest, "It's too early." It was also freezing in the cabin. 

In response, Plagg gave a sharp tug on the blanket, and it flew off of Adrien. "_C'mon_, kid!"

The little pocket of warmth that Adrien had been sleeping in had been comfortable. Now he was exposed to the sharp chill of the morning air. Adrien sat up, and the hammock swayed. Rubbing his eyes, he peered sleepily up at Plagg. Plagg was fully dressed and fully awake. He raised an eyebrow, gesturing for the drowsy mer to hurry up. 

Adrien pulled himself out of the hammock. "There," he spread his arms. "I'm ready to go, can you stop yelling at me now?"

Plagg squinted suspiciously. "Are your clothes . . . damp?"

Adrien desperately tried to keep his face straight. It didn't work. Plagg shrugged, "What you do is your business." He said finally. "We need to get you some more clothes." He walked over to his truck, which had been shoved to the edge of the cabin. He unclasped the lid and opened it, pulling a few garments out. Tossing a few over his shoulders, he added, "Most of these will be a bit too big for you, but you can just roll them up." Plagg sniffed a few, "These smell clean, they even have the heavenly scent of cheese." The Kwami held them out to Adrien, then pulled some camembert from the trunk.

"You know, I'm fine." Adrien tried his best not to gag at the smell. "I like the ones I have, and I don't mind that they're damp."

"Suit yourself, but brush your hair, it's a mess." Plagg chucked a hairbrush at Adrien, who managed to grab it before it smacked his face.

Plagg's wild hair was far messier than Adrien's, but he chose not to comment. He ran the brush through his hair a few times, a then finger-styled the rest. His hair felt so different from when he was under the water. It took a lot less effort to style down there, up here, it was dry and fluffy and tangly.

"Tikki wants to talk to you." Plagg popped another slice of cheese in his mouth. "We shouldn't keep her waiting, she's going to blame me."

Plagg and Adrien walked out of the cabin and down the hall into Tikki's cabin.

Tikki's cabin was decorated with candles and blankets, it was far warmer and cozier than Plagg's. Tikki herself was sitting at a beautifully carved wooden desk that was nicer than even Ladybug's. Sheets a paper full of sketches were spread across it. The illustrations were fantastic. Detailed drawings of the _ Luck Charm _, Captain Ladybug, Plagg, and the ocean. Her delicate brow furrowed as she frowned at the sketch she was currently working on. It was indistinct, and Adrien couldn't make out what it was supposed to be.

Tikki glanced up at the two in the doorway and smiled. "Come in, I'm sorry to keep you waiting, let me just put these away. The tiny woman gathered up the papers tapping them on the desk to straighten the stack. Pushing it and the pencil off to the side, she turned the chair around to face Adrien. "Please, sit." she gestured to her hammock

"Don't mind if I do." Plagg replied, flopping down into it.

"That hammock is for Adrien!" Tikki admonished Plagg. "You get up, Stickysock!"

"Fine."

Adrien sat down.

"I figured I should probably get straight to the point." Tikki started. She locked her blue eyes with Adrien. "You do realize you can leave, right?" she asked. "No one is keeping you here if you don't want it."

"I know," Adrien answered. "I-I _want _to be here. To meet people and explore."

"Are you sure?" Tikki's voice sounded concerned. "You can go back to the ocean if you want."

Adrien blinked. So that confirmed it. He had suspected that Plagg had told her.

"I already told Plagg that he can't just go about abducting people." she sighed at her fiancé. "That he has to think before he acts and can't just hope it works out."

"But it did," Adrien objected. "Plagg helped me, I might never have escaped if not for him."

"See," Plagg added eagerly. "I was telling the truth."

"I already knew you were telling the truth. However, if you are both okay with going through with this, and Adrien is to be your new chosen, then you are going to teach this poor boy about how to properly use the ring and about the powers that come with it." She glared, quite intimidating for someone so small. "No protesting." She continued as Plagg opened his mouth. "I already know you didn't give him proper instruction, so don't try to get out of this. Let's not have a repeat of what happened last time."

"That was not my fault." Plagg growled. "I _never_ thought that would happen."

"Not here." Tikki's face was unreadable. "It would be best if you did it at night while everyone is asleep. Now go."

Plagg stalked out of the room, leaving Adrien behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! Have a great day!
> 
> Stay Magical,  
CoordinatedChaos


	11. First Lesson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody, I'm back! Sorry for the long unwarned break, this time of the year has been pretty busy, filled with midterms and holidays. Thanks for being patient with me. I'm glad to be back. I read all your comments, and I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but they always make me smile! 😊 It's so great that you're all enjoying my writing. I hope you've had a wonderful holiday season so far!

Adrien ran after Plagg, catching up with him at the door to the galley. The Kwami was facing the door, arms crossed over his chest.

"Plagg. . ."

"Tikki is always complaining that I make rash decisions." Plagg didn't turn around. "It feels like she doesn't trust me sometimes. She always takes time to plan things out before-hand and examine all possible outcomes. She hasn't had a chosen in a hundred years, although she's considered many candidates."

Adrien paused. He had thought for sure that Captain Ladybug. . .

"Anyway, we should probably grab something to eat." Plagg pushed open the door to the tiny galley.

The inside was occupied by small, wood-burning, iron cookstove and shelves stocked with provisions. Baskets and barrels cluttered the floor leaving almost no room, and a few wicker baskets were filled with fruit nestled in straw. A lit lantern hung from the low ceiling, illuminating the room. A short woman stood in the center, wearing a stained white apron. She had blonde dreadlocks tied back by a pink bandana and wide brown eyes.

"Goodmorning, Plagg!" She chirped brightly. "What can I get for you?"

"Hey, Myléne. What do you have?" Plagg asked.

"Pretty much everything, since we just restocked. Right now, I just made some soup, but we also have apples, pears, mango, cheese, plenty of vegetables, biscuits, and jerky."

"We'll take two bowls of soup, two apples, some biscuits, and what kind of cheese do you have?"

"Parmesan and Brie."

"No Camembert." The black-haired Kwami sighed softly. "Then, some Brie. Thanks."

Myléne grabbed the food and put it all in a small linen-lined basket, accept for the two bowls of soup.

"Here, hold this, kid." Plagg thrust the basket at Adrien.

"Who's this?" Myléne asked curiously.

"This is Adrien," Plagg answered. "He's new."

"Nice to meet you, Adrien." The short woman beamed.

"Nice to meet you." Adrien responded.

"Here's your soup, Plagg." Myléne handed over two rough wooden bowls.

"Thank you, Myléne." Plagg grabbed the bowls, "Come on, kid."

* * *

"So, Myléne is the cook?" Adrien asked a while later, when they were both situated on the deck towards the head of the ship.

"Kind of," Plagg responded between slurps of soup. "There are a few different people who know how to cook, so they take turns. Today, it's Myléne's turn."

"Hmm." The mer hummed thoughtfully.

"Most everyone, abord the  _ Lucky Charm  _ can do a few different things, so they often trade around that way things don't get too dull."

The fresh sea breeze ruffled their hair, and the warm sunlight felt good. The white sails billowed in the wind. Adrien could make out Captain Ladybug at the helm of the ship. He still wasn't sure where exactly they were headed.

"So tonight, we can go over some of the stuff that Tikki wanted me to tell you. Mainly, it's just a bunch of boring history, but some of it is actually interesting."

Adrien finished his soup and grabbed some jerky. "I don't think history sounds boring."

"You wouldn't, but I've seen most of it firsthand anyway, it gets old after a while."

"How old are you?"

"Eh, I stopped counting after the first few millennia."

"Whoa!" Adrien's eyes widened. "That's so cool! Mer only live a couple of hundred years."

"Not really, it gets kind of lonely after awhile. You meet new people, but they die really quickly. The only one who hasn't died yet is Tikki, and that's because she's like me."

"She's a Kwami too?"

"Yes, but keep it down," Plagg glanced at the few other people eating or working on the deck. "You're the only one besides Tikki and me that knows."

"Captain Ladybug doesn't know?"

"No. Either way, Tikki's the Kwami of creation, and my other half. She creates, I destroy. We'll probably cover this more tonight."

* * *

"Psst, kid, wake up!" Plagg hissed.

Adrien blinked groggily. "Plagg, what happened?"

"You fell asleep on me. I'm supposed to show you how the ring works." He was hovering over Adrien's hammock.

Adrien sat up quickly, throwing off the blankets. The cabin was dark. "What time is it?"

"I don't know. I had something to finish up elsewhere, and you stayed here. When I came to get you, you were asleep."

"Oh."

"Let's go. Everyone else is asleep, even Ladybug, so it must be pretty late. I lost track of time." Plagg waited until Adrien was ready, then they both walked up to the main deck.

It was dark out, and the stars were beautiful. It was peaceful. The moon hung in the sky, it's dim light reflecting upon the ocean and casting grey shadows over the ship.

"So I thought about starting with history, but then I realized that I'd fall asleep before I finished, so instead were staring with Cataclysm."

"Catac-?"

"Stop!" Plagg waved his hands frantically. "You can only use it once before it needs to recharge."

"Oh."

"Also, once you call it, you'll destroy anything you touch with that hand."

"What!" Adrien shrieked. Then he paused. "Actually, that's kind of cool."

"So, anyway, once you call it, it needs to recharge, which takes time. The ring is connected to me, so it drains my energy. It helps if I eat." Plagg pulled out a slice of cheese from his pocket and shoved it in his mouth. "Once you use it, it takes about five minutes for the ring to revert back to its original form, which means you de-transform back into a mer, got it?"

Adrien nodded.

Plagg continued. "So, since I have plenty of cheese on me, we can practice right now." He grabbed a wooden bucket that was sitting on the deck. "She probably doesn't need that. Now, say Cataclysm."

"Cataclysm." Black bubbles of magical energy formed around Adrien's right hand. "Cool!"

"Now, catch!" Plagg tossed the bucket to Adrien.

As Adrien caught it, it disintegrated into ashes, which fell through his fingers. "Whoa!" The magical energy vanished. The ring let out a shrill beeping sound. "What was that?"

"That's your five-minute warning. Twist the ring around."

Twisting the black ring around, Adrien saw that one of the green pads on the front was blinking. It disappeared, and the next started to flicker.

"When all the paw pads are gone, you turn back. Pretty simple." Plagg shoved some more cheese in his mouth. The blinking paw pad stopped, and the other pad started glowing again. "There is another kind of transformation you can do that takes more energy, but I'm not going to teach that tonight."

They continued to practice, Adrien calling for Cataclysm and Plagg handing him things to disintegrate. Plagg ate more cheese each time they destroyed something.

"So, I already showed you how I can change into a cat, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, I have a few other forms." With a flash of green light, Plagg disappeared and in his place was a small, floating, black cat with electric green eyes. "This is my Kwami form. It's the one I normally use the most. It's necessary for that other transformation I mentioned." There was another flash of light, and Plagg changed back. "The ring is called a Miraculous, and there are a few different ones. Tikki has one as well, although she doesn't have a chosen yet to give it to. We're opposites, so I'm the Kwami of destruction, and she's the Kwami of creation. Her Miraculous can restore things. So anyway, I think we're almost done. The last little bit is that I can also summon Cataclysm." Black energy bubbles appeared in both of Plagg's hands. "Although mine is quite a bit stronger than what you can do right now. With more practice, you can increase the power and intensity." The bubbles disappeared. "I'll tell you more about the history and technical stuff tomorrow."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, just for kicks, I asked my mom to buy a small box of Camembert from France to try. Earlier today, she decided to open it, I was watching from the stairs.
> 
> Mom: *opening the box and gagging* This smells horrible. Your father said that something in the fridge smelled bad, and I think this is it.  
Sister: *Running into the kitchen* Ugh, she's right, it smells like stinky feet.  
Me: *Walking into the kitchen* I don't smell anything.  
Mom: I know this was ten dollar cheese, but I would be perfectly fine with throwing it away.  
Me: I thought for sure that your 'This was expensive, so we have to eat it' midset would have overridden the bad smell, it works with vegetables. I honestly don't think it smells that bad. It just smells like cheese.  
Dad: *Joins us* That's what I smelled in the fridge.  
Mom: *Reading the box* It's all the way from France.  
Dad: They must have kicked it through the dirt all the way here.  
Me: *Grabs the slice and takes a bite* It's soft and kinda salty.  
Mom: *Taking a piece* It tastes like truffles, a bit earthy.  
Dad: You're probably supposed to melt it, like in a fondue.  
Mom: *Goes to the computer and pulls up an article* You're supposed to let it sit till it gets to room temperature, you can eat the rind. You can eat it with honey, crackers, and jam.  
Me: We should try that.  
Sister: _You_ can try that.  
Mom: It says that you can melt it and eat it on bread and pasta. *Makes a face*  
Me: I still don't think it smells that bad; it doesn't taste horrible, either.  
Sister: Speak for yourself, your nose must be stuffed up.  
Me: It's not.
> 
> So apparently, I'm the only one in my family who doesn't think it smells like stinky feet.
> 
> Ooh! I hadn't realized we reached ten chapters, yay us! Like I said before, I had a plot, but it kind of disintegrated, so I'm really not sure _how_ many chapters this fic is going to have. I'm still hoping to do some one-shots, but I haven't had much time, so it will probably be after this is finished. In the meantime, if you have any prompts of requests, feel free to send them in. I'll see what I can do! (Also, I’m super I inconsistent, so I changed the Prologue scene, I added the original Prologue to the first chapter.)
> 
> Stay Magical,  
CoordinatedChaos


	12. Danger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, it's me again. I know it's been a while since I posted anything, and I just wanted to thank you all for your patience. I've had been having some writer's block and have been having a lot of trouble with this next chapter. I've rewritten it several times, and it never seems to flow properly. Unfortunately, I'm still having a lot of trouble, so this next chapter is pretty short, less than half the length of my normal chapters. This was as far as I could get before it stopped flowing. I'm sorry for the short length, but I felt that you guys deserved something for waiting so long, even if the something is very short.
> 
> Anyways, I hope that all of you have had an excellent New Year and winter break. Anyway, you all have my best wishes for the new year and decade. You are all capable of amazing things!
> 
> (P.S. This next chapter is from Ladybug's POV.)

Captain Ladybug stood at the helm of the  _ Lucky Charm _ , spyglass in her hand. Peering through it, she could just barely see large gray storm clouds gather at the southern horizon. Her eyes squinted against the bright sun. The wind was strong, and her hair whipped around into her face. Ladybug grumbled, lowing her spyglass and pushing it out of the way. If flew back into her face a moment later. Her hair reached just below her shoulders and was the perfect length to get in her face.

The storm clouds were troubling. They were far away from any kind of land, and if the storm caught up to them, they could have a problem on their hands.

"ROSE!" Captain Ladybug bellowed towards the crow's nest. "COME DOWN HERE!" She could see the petite girl scurry down the rope ladders.

Rose dashed across the deck, the sleeves of her pink blouse ruffling in the wind. She reached Ladybug, panting.

"What is it, Captain?" She said between breaths.

"Take a look at this." Ladybug offered the spyglass to Rose.

Rose held the spyglass up, and Ladybug gently moved it, so it faced the dark clouds.

"Oh, that's not good." Rose's brow wrinkled. "If the storm gets too big, it could possibly sink the  _ Lucky Charm _ ."

"Hmm," Ladybug pursed her lips. "Go fetch Juleka, please."

Juleka was a cartographer and was in charge of mapping out the course of the ship. Rose nodded and ran down below deck, reappearing a moment later with a tall, raven-haired girl in her wake. The girl was wearing a black justacorps with purple lining.

"Hey, Captain." Juleka mumbled softly. "Did you need something?"

"Yes," Ladybug responded briskly, "How away is the nearest land? Can we reach there by nightfall?"

"No. It's a few days away, in that direction." She gestured vaguely to the direction of the storm clouds.

Ladybug groaned. Just what she needed. Frowning, she raised the spyglass and studied the storm clouds again. With a sigh, she lowered it.

"Rose," She started.

"Yes?" The blonde girl squeaked.

Ladybug handed her the spyglass. "Take the spyglass and go back up to the crow's nest. Keep an eye on the storm, and if it gets any closer, tell me."

"Sure thing, Captain." Rose rushed off.

Ladybug turned to Juleka. "Head back down and find the quickest way to land that doesn't take us south."

Juleka nodded, leaving. Ladybug bit her lip. She prayed that they reached land before the storm reached them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a couple of tiny notes-
> 
> #1. So this fic is not set in an exact year but instead occurs sometime around the Golden Age of Piracy, from 1650-1720. I try to keep facts and events as accurate as possible, but unfortunately, I'm not perfect. I'm sorry.
> 
> #2. I mentioned that the style of Juleka's coat is called a justacorps. Typically, I wouldn't specify, but I figured just in case anyone was curious and wanted to look it up.
> 
> #3. I would like to apologize for my inconsistent updating schedule during the past couple of months. I've been busy with school, midterms, extracurriculars, family, and the holidays. School started back up again and I've been having difficulties easing back into the flow of things. (No matter how many times I wake up early for school, it never seems to get any easier). Thank you all for your patience.
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Have a great new year and Stay Magical!  
CC


	13. Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I'm back! Sorry for the unplanned hiatus. I got writer's block and it took me longer than I expected to conquer it. But I did, and I'm back with another chapter. So, I hope you enjoy!

Adrien was awoken by the stomping of boots on the deck. He blinked his eyes open drowsily.

"Plagg?" He called out.

There was no answer. The hammock swayed precariously as the ship rocked violently. Adrien climbed carefully out of the hammock, stumbling and almost falling as the ocean waves rolled the ship again. He rested a hand on the wall to keep his balance and slowly walked towards the door. Heavy footfalls and loud, unintelligible yells sounded above him. He picked up the pace.

When Adrien emerged on the deck, it was complete chaos. Rain pelted down on the deck of the ship, blurring his vision. The wind howled as the ship rocked on the waves. The crew of the _Lucky Charm _scrambled about on the deck, trying things down, attempting to get the situation under control.

"PLAGG!" He yelled, trying to catch someone's attention. Someone crashed into him, knocking them both to the ground. "WHAT"S GOING ON?!?" 

The person scrambled up, revealing Tikki. "ADRIEN!" She bellowed over the wind. "I NEED YOU TO GRAB EVERYTHING THAT"S NOT COMPLETELY NECESSARY AND TOSS IT OFF THE SHIP! WE HAVE TO GET IT AS LIGHT AS POSSIBLE BEFORE WE SINK! TIE EVERYTHING ELSE DOWN!"

"WHAT!?" Adrien shouted in astonishment. The _Lucky Charm _couldn't sink. Everyone would die. Well, he wouldn't, but he'd rather not watch everyone else perish in the storm.

"GO! HURRY!" Tikki yelled as she ran off.

Adrienne hurried to join a group of crew members, who were rolling barrels over the rails of the ship. He huffed at the weight of the barrel. The rain fell into his eyes, blinding him. The storm continued to grow stronger, and the waves became larger. The _Lucky Charm _groaned the waves battered it.

The ship rode up a wave, crashing back down and sending up a spray of saltwater. Adrien stumbled, almost tripping. His eyes widened in horror as an enormous wave towered over the small _Lucky Charm_.

A cry of, "BRACE YOURSELVES!" came from the crew, and Adrien's eyes darted around, searching for something to hold onto. Dashing towards the railing of the ship, his fingers almost reached it before the wave came crashing down.

Then Adrien was tumbling head over heels. He felt a sharp pain as his head smacked violently against something hard. Water was everywhere. He couldn't tell which was up. Blackness began to creep in around the edges of his vision, and he felt seawater trickle into his lungs. No! He couldn't lose consciousness! Not now!

Paddling as hard as he could to the surface and fighting to stay alert, he saw someone fall suddenly through the water, sending up a stream of white bubbles. He kicked his feet frantically, swimming over to them. Midnight hair swirled around their pale, white face. It was Captain Ladybug. Why was she here? Her waterlogged clothing was pulling her down. She struggled to get her soaked coat off, and Adrien tried to help her, but the waves forced them apart. Losing track of her, he started to panic. He might survive, but she would drown if she stayed underwater for too long.

"Claws in!" The words were garbled by water, but they worked. Adrienne felt his legs meld together into a powerful tail. Gills opening on his sides, but his shirt kept them from working properly. He wrestled with the material, tugging it over his head and casting it aside. Finally, he could breathe again. Racing back to where he last saw Ladybug, the young mer looked around frantically. She had sunk farther down, the dark water swallowing her up. With a flick of his tail, he was by her side. The pirate's eyes were closed, and her body was limp. Adrien grabbed her around the waist and raced up towards the surface. Head popping up, he couldn't see any sign of the _Lucky Charm_. The rain and waves made it almost impossible to see. Typically, during a storm, Adrien holed up in a sea cave until it was all over. Swimming in stormy waters wasn't safe for anyone. Rouch waves could push you into jagged rocks or coral.

Adrien pulled Ladybug against his chest, getting her head out of the water. Her wet hair was plastered to her face, and her head hung limply.

"Ladybug!" He yelled in her ear. "Captain Ladybug, wake up! Please wake up!"

She didn't respond. Adrien knew almost nothing about human health, but usually, when someone was unconscious and didn't respond, that wasn't a great sign. Making sure to keep her head above water, he started swimming for land.

***

Hours later, the storm finally came to a lull. Rain still fell, but it was more of a drizzle than anything else. On the edge of the horizon, Adrien could see a minuscule sliver of land. His tail was cramping, aching from swimming, and it was getting harder to hold Ladybug up. In order to keep her head above the surface of the water, he had to swim almost on his back in a way he wasn't used to. Almost there, just a little while longer, and he could rest. The grey clouds began to disperse, and the ocean water lightened, turning a beautiful teal color. As he reached the small island, the sea became shallow, and Adrien tugged Ladybug up the beach, depositing her on the white sand. The exhausted mer collapsed down, eyes sliding shut. The warmth of the dim sun felt good. Surely it wouldn't hurt to rest for a moment?

***

When Ladybug blinked her eyes open, her sun nearly blinded her. Where was she? She coughed, propping herself up, body convulsing as it tried to rid her lungs of the saltwater she had inhaled. When she finished, the pirate stared down at the soft white sand beneath her. She could hear the sound of waves lapping at the shore. The last thing she remembered was seeing Adrien fall overboard. She had recklessly lept overboard as well, in an attempt to save him. No member of her crew had died under her command, and she wasn't about to let it happen now.

Ladybug sat up completely, squinting. She appeared to be on a small, deserted island. Great. The _Lucky Charm _was nowhere in sight, and she had no idea how she got here, or how to get off. Then her eyes landed on the unconscious mer next to her, and she screamed.

***

A loud screech startled Adrien out of his sleep. He jerked up, covering his ears. Ladybug sat in front of him, fully awake. Her eyes were wide as saucers, and she was still screaming. Adrien winced. This definitely wasn't how he had planned to tell her about him and what happened.  
"Mer!" She scrambled backward, putting distance between herself and him. "Stay back! I can fight!" She yelled, pulling a pistol from her belt.  
Adrien's eyes widened, "Wait-"   
She pulled the trigger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me forever to figure out how I wanted to write that scene. I deleted the entire thing several times before I got it how I wanted. I will admit, that I had to rewatch _Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End_ again before I got inspiration. Sorry to leave you guys on a cliffhanger, but I'm going to attempt my normal updating schedule again. I can't make any promises, however. I'm kind of winging it (Whatever plot I had died toward the beginning of the story), and I write when inspiration strikes. Have a great week!
> 
> Stay Magical!  
CoordinatedChaos

**Author's Note:**

> So everyone, what did you think? This is my first Miraculous Ladybug fanfic so feed back is encouraged! I'm not completely set on where the story if going to go, so if you have any suggestion. . . ;)  
See you next chapter!
> 
> Stay Magical,  
CoordinatedChaos


End file.
